Blackberry issues in October 2011

With Blackberry issues last week I was reminded of a BBC sketch about Apple and blackberries.

(Windows 8) Windows Developer Preview

Have just tested out the Developers windows 8 Preview. I installed it on a 4 year old HP laptop with 3 GB memory.

I just popped the DVD in the drive said yes to install and selected the region, about 30 minutes latter I was on line. So for me the first impression was very good from an install perspective.

The Wifi card and Graphics worked straight away without trying to find drivers.

I just popped in my windows live ID when asked, the idea is to use windows live to keep your settings so you can move about on different devices including mobile phones etc running windows 8.

All the security software is preinstalled; I am still trying to check out all the options on this and to see if there is a need for 3^rd party apps.

The look and feel is designed for a touch screen and with a bit of hunting around familiar windows options are available.

Preview Windows 8 at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/preview

Remote control scammer, taking control of your PC or Laptop

Have you had some one phone and say that your pc is infected or has some issue?

I provide support to home pc and laptop users in Yeovil in Somerset. I have had three customers phone about their pc’s been taken over by a remote user (Scammer) and having a phone conversation trying to sell support.

Have you been contacted of suffered this problem, I am trying to piece together how this is happening and how generally only more senior PC and Laptop users are been targeted.

Thank fully the folks I have spoken to have not parted with their money.
I would always say never give credit card or bank details to any company that phones with out invitation and says you have a problem. This also applies if you have strange windows appear telling you that your computer is infected and that if you pay they will clean you pc.

Don't enter any codes or assist them in any way, turn your pc off and hang up.
Don’t be afraid of hanging up your phone or turning your pc off.
If you can make a note of any phone numbers, company or other names used. Let the local police and Trading standards know.
Has you pc been taken over by remote control with out your permission by these scammers?
Good article from Guy at another Yeovil Support company in the local paper. http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Security-scam-alert-issued-expert/story-12737167-detail/story.html

Extracting “Adobe Reader X” .MSI file from .exe file

Extracting and tailoring the “Adobe Reader X” installation.

Down load the enterprise version of Adobe Reader X (you will need to sign up on the Adobe website)

Then in the folder containing the Adobe X .exe file run on the command line

AdbeRdr1001_en_US.exe -nos_oc:\AdobeReaderMSI -nos_ne

The created folder “AdobeReaderMSI” at the drive root should have the.msi file and other setup files. In my case c:\ AdobeReaderMSI.

You can now tailor the Adobe X installation using the “Adobe Customization Wizard”, the Adobe wizard allows a range of settings to be edited. I wanted to get the option of creating PDF’s on line removed from the main window. The last thing I wanted was people converting company documents on line?

There are still some online options connected with sharing and converting pdf’s but not as obvious.

I have found Cutepdf very good for creating a pdf file, if you can print it you can convert it.

First Steps into MAC computers

My daughter has just bought her first MAC Book, I have never really ventured into Apple MAC's.

Being second hand and having lots of good software installed and no recovery dvd's for the Applications  I decided it would be good to image / Clone the MAC hardisk to a fairly new larger disk. I also wanted to make sure if I messed up the installation I could just pop teh old disk in.

The windows software I normally use doesn't support OSX. I had a hunt on the web and found lowendmac. who had a great article on their site. I used shirt-pocket.com SuperDuper software to make an image.

I connected my new disk via a usb Caddy, I used the MAC Disk Utility to erase (format) the new disk.
I installed SuperDuper and followed the instruction at lowendmac.  I opened up the MAC and popped the replcement disk in and it booted fine.

The previous owner had not installed any anti virus or updates, Sophos had a free MAC antivirus which was soon installed and a 1 trojan found.   

The office for MAC 2004 needed some updates and convertor to be installed so it can open .docx files.

Another home computer with another fake Antivirus!

"MS Removal Tool" Removal
Another home computer with another fake Antivirus! “MS Removal Tool” on a Windows 7 laptop.

How did I remove it?
1. Boot safe mode

2. Checked in the registry under Local Machine and Current user for Runonce entries, found 1 entry with a random name.

3. Ran Microsoft security essentials (full scan) which found a Trojan and removed it.

4. Searched on the runonce entry name and found a folder under program data.

5. (Warnings do not edit the registry unless you know what you are doing.)
I deleted the random named file from runonce.

6. Rebooted logged in and ran Microsoft security essentials and Spybot search and destroy.

The Laptop is now clean, I managed to surf the web, rebooted a few times and scanned a few times to make sure all had gone.
So what does Runonce do, it allows a program to runonce when the laptop/pc is started and logged in. This is why the software will keep reinstalling even if you think you have removed it.
Free Computer and laptop Security software
I have been impressed with Microsoft security essentials, which is free for home use. I have been a fan of AVG free for quite few years. There is no reason why every pc and laptop should not have Security software installed.

I have started to set windows 7 pc’s /laptops with two accounts with passwords a general non privileged account and a Super user account. My thinking is if something wants to install you should have to enter the Super user password to allow it.

Do you have thoughts on the Free antivirus product?

"MS removal Tool" if you follow the prompts you will end up entering credit card details but still be unable to use you machine. It will be cheaper to get your local PC man to clean up.



Malware that won’t go even in Safemode

I have recently seen a few computers with malware that won’t even go in safe mode.

Previously running in safemode has enabled me to remove startup entries and then start the clean up process.
I have found the following article which provides a starting point when you are unable to remove Malware in Safemode.
Good article on malwarehelp.org on removing malware

Getting to the command prompt
Press F8 when windows starts to boot, select “safe mode with Command Prompt”.

I am a keen fan of Spybot search and destroy and , Avg and some other tools and scanners.

Sophos Firewall on a windows 7

How to install Sophos Firewall on a windows 7 client using SBE.
The remote registry service needs to be started on the client, by default ths windows 7 service is stopped.

Using services.msc start Remote Registry - Service. This assumes that the windows firewall is off, not to sure which ports need to be open.

Then using the Sophos SBE console push the firewll to the required windows 7 client.

Just need to see if I can deploy the Sophos Antivirus the same way, until now we have installed locally on the client and updated from Sophos SBE.

Fake Anti Virus System Tools

Have just been removing Fake Anti virus from a clients PC.


Found this on You tube, worked like a dream


I used the "RogueKiller" software in safe mode, it removed the startup files for the "system Tools" fake av.

I then ran my antivirus to make sure that the system was clean. I have had the pc running for a while and used IE and still no fake AV.

Thanks

Roguekiller - http://www.sur-la-toile.com/RogueKiller/

Blackberry Express server IT Policy, trying to understand

Version: 5.0.2.29 BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express


Blackberry Express server IT Policy, trying to understand
We seem to have a few IT policies; I guess that the default is the one that was there by default with a standard set of options.

There may only be 35 policy options but it not an easy task to work out what each policy does. There is some help with the BlackBerry® Administration Service, but it appears to be more of an overview.
Apart from the obvious IT Policy which I guess covers the device as a whole, you can also set application control policies for the various applications to down load to the Blackberry device.

I am still unsure how quickly changes in policy are applied to each Blackberry?
On the whole the feedback from users has been positive, the ability to get corporate emails, view the intranet and not having to use desktop manager to keep the device synchronized.
We have managed to push some apps Google map and Bloomberg with no issues.

More specific Application Issue
The main Application I am having an issue with is Redfly by Celio, which consist of a device which looks like a notebook, Keyboard and Screen so you can type up documents on the Blackberry. The Redfly software for the blackberry has worked fine until we deployed BES express. Even with all the IT policy setting wide open and the Application policy wide open it won’t work.

The following policy restrictions are shown:-
Phone (Prompt), (Server Network Prompt), Location Data (Prompt), internet (Prompt), Recording (Prompt), Security (prompt) and Security Timer Reset.

RIM and Blackberry support
I have been looking through http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Professional-Software/bd-p/bps_unite and various other forums and support groups.

http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/deliverables/16606/Assigning_IT_policies_resolving_conflicts_1047601_11.jsp

Rim appears to have little help for the Free Blackberry Express software. If you have any advice on the IT policies please let me know.

"NTLDR missing error" XP

Windows xp Boot error "NTLDR missing error"

Booted with Bartpe disk and copied in missing NTLDR file, checked that the NTdetect.com and boot.ini were still present.

Rebooted normally no boot cd,

error now NTLDR compressed.

Booted with XP install CD to recovery console.

Selected R to repair
Selected windows install to login to, thankfully administrator had no password.
Navigated to root of C:, and ran attrib -c ntldr
Not to sure what attrib -c does, apart from uncompress? Atrrib -c is only available from the restore console in XP.

Rebooted system, no error.

The question now is where did the original ntldr go, the disk has a few minor errors and plenty of malware.
 
My favourite boot cd Bartpe.